Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is WiFi on the London Underground?

We're proud to present WiFi internet access at over 250 London Underground stations (95% of the Tube network) – with more stations to follow. Virgin Media WiFi is also available at Victoria Coach station.

You can use any WiFi enabled device, like smartphones, tablets or laptops, to connect to the Internet via WiFi when you're using the London Underground. The WiFi connection is available in ticket halls and corridors, and on escalators and station platforms but not in tunnels between stations.

Where can I get it?

WiFi is available in over 250 London Underground stations (95% of the network) and Victoria Coach Station. You can access the WiFi service in ticket halls and corridors, and on escalators and station platforms.

Full internet access is available for no extra charge to Virgin Mobile customers and Virgin Media customers with home Broadband. Customers of EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three can also use the service at no extra charge but please check the eligibility conditions for your provider.

Other London Underground customers can get full internet access by buying a WiFi Pass from Virgin Media. These are available to buy either online before you travel or via the WiFi Portal when you are underground.

Choose from the following WiFi Passes:

1 Day - £2.00

1 Week - £5.00

1 Month - £15.00

How does it work?

We've installed WiFi hotspots in over 250 Tube stations (95% of the network) so that you'll have wireless internet access from the moment you enter the station at street level until your train leaves the platform.

There's no coverage between stations and in tunnels but as soon as the train enters the next WiFi enabled station your device will automatically re-connect to the internet.

What can I do with it?

WiFi on the London Underground is ideal for emails, Facebook, Twitter or checking the news and travel updates.

As there's no WiFi signal between stations, the best way to use Virgin Media WiFi is to do things that only need a short connection time. Web content like streaming movies or downloading large files, which require a continuous connection, are best left to when you arrive at your destination.

As WiFi on the London Underground is a public service, some sites may be blocked because of their content or for legal reasons.

Why can't I get WiFi in the tunnels?

We've decided to concentrate on installing WiFi on the London Underground throughout stations first, such as in ticket halls and platforms. This is so that we can expand the network to as many stations as possible.

The service

Will all wireless devices work?

Any device that can connect to a home, work or public WiFi network will be able to connect to WiFi on the London Underground too. For business devices, contact your IT department to find out whether they'll work.

My business BlackBerry device doesn't seem to send or receive emails when I am on the service?

Unfortunately some business implementations for BlackBerry will not allow email to be used over a WiFi connection. This is not unique to WiFi on the London Underground. Please contact your IT department for further information.

How does the WiFi network recognise me at every station?

Once you register, our WiFi network remembers a unique device code that is used to authenticate your device. This means that you'll automatically connect to WiFi whenever you travel on the Underground. It works the same way as when you set your device to connect automatically to your home WiFi network.

Can my device be hacked into or get a virus from using a WiFi network?

This can happen on any connection whether it's public or not. As with other public WiFi networks, we recommend that you have adequate security and anti-virus software on your device before you start using WiFi on the London Underground. The majority of security risks online are spread via malware within certain webpages. Up to date security software should protect you from this.

How do I keep my device secure while I'm using the WiFi network?

You may want to make sure that you have adequate security and anti-virus software on your device before you start using WiFi on the London Underground. We recommend you follow the advice of your device manufacturer on how to do this.

Also, if you need to send sensitive data such as your personal details or internet banking information, look for the padlock icon at the top of your browser bar to show that you're on a secure connection (SSL or HTTPS).

Does Virgin Media block any content on WiFi on the London Underground?

As WiFi on the London Underground is a public WiFi network, Virgin Media has a responsibility to ensure that the content available is suitable for young people to access themselves or to look at over someone else's shoulder.

Where can I find the Terms and Conditions?

When you connect for the first time, you'll see the relevant Terms & Conditions that you'll be asked to accept before you can use the service.

From the WiFi Portal homepage, click the 'Menu' button and select 'Log Out'.

To start using the WiFi network again, you'll need to log back in.

How do I change my provider?

First, you'll need to log out of the service. Then you can register with the service again using your new provider.

How do I switch the WiFi service between devices?

You can use a number of devices on the WiFi service at any one time, meaning you can register and use a new device without having to log out of a previous one.

There is a limit to how many devices you can register with the service, and when this limit has been reached the next time you attempt to connect with a new device your least used device will be disconnected to make way.

Can I make the Virgin Media WiFi Portal homepage my default homepage?

Unfortunately not. The WiFi Portal homepage is only available while you are connected to WiFi on the Underground. However, it's easy to get to: simply bookmark the page in your Favourites or if you have already been surfing the internet on the service, just press the back button till you reach the WiFi Portal homepage.

Don't forget you'll always be directed to the WiFi Portal homepage the first time you browse the Internet when connected to WiFi on the Underground each day.

Connecting a Device

The first time you connect to WiFi on the London Underground, you'll need to be inside the entrance to a WiFi enabled station.

Next, you'll need to make sure WiFi is turned on on your device. Depending on which device you're using, see the "How do I connect using..." sections below.

Once you have WiFi turned on, you'll automatically be taken to the Virgin Media Portal page. Here you'll see icons for Virgin Media, EE, Vodafone, or (if you're not with any of these providers) WiFi Pass. Just click on the one you want to use. If you’re with O2 or Three, you can select your provider from the drop down box under the WiFi Pass button.

If you're with Virgin Mobile, Virgin Broadband, EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three you'll need to enter some of your customer details the first time you use the WiFi service, so make sure you have these to hand.

The details you'll need to enter depend on which provider you're with:

EE, T-Mobile and Orange: you'll need to send a text message to 9527. You will get a password in a text message reply and you need to enter this password along with your mobile phone number

Vodafone: you'll need your My Vodafone account username and password

O2: you'll need to be registered for O2 WiFi and have your O2 phone number

You'll need to have set up a password while you're above ground and connected to our network before you can use this service underground. To do this, just go to your My3 account when you’re above ground and select Free Wi-Fi on the London Underground and follow the instructions.

If you're registering for a WiFi Pass, you'll need to enter your email address and choose a password in order to set up a WiFi Pass account for the first time. You'll then need to buy a WiFi Pass to get access to the internet.

I'm with Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go, how do I get access to the WiFi?

Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go customers will need to have topped up at least £10 in the last 30 days to be able to use WiFi on the London Underground.

When you top up your credit, it can take a little while for our systems to be updated and may take a maximum of 36 hours before you'll be able to access the WiFi again.

Can I register more than one device?

You can use more than one device on WiFi on the London Underground, and you'll need to register each device the first time you use it.

Once you've registered on that device, it'll be automatically recognised every time you connect to WiFi on the London Underground and you won't need to re-enter your details.

How do I connect using my iPhone / iPad?

Tap on the "Settings" app

Tap on "Wi-Fi" which is listed under Airplane Mode.

Make sure that Wi-Fi is "On", then tap on "Virgin Media WiFi" in the list of networks under "Choose a Network".

Once you can see a tick by "Virgin Media WiFi", open Safari to take you to the WiFi Portal homepage.

If the station is enabled and you've tried connecting inside the station, try walking a few steps then search again for available WiFi networks.

What if I can connect but the service is slow?

We've installed a huge amount of capacity at every WiFi enabled Tube station, but it does have to be shared out amongst everyone. If the service is slow, it's probably because the station is crowded and a lot of people are using it. We'll be monitoring speeds and increasing capacity as needed.

Please be aware that, depending on your device, your experience of the service may vary.

I can normally sign in at one particular location but today it's not working. Why not?

This may be due to a number of issues, ranging from a fault on the service to something interfering with the WiFi signal. If it's a fault on the network we'll fix it as quickly as we can.

If you see other people connecting but you can't, try setting up your device again as you did when you first activated it.

After I've connected, I keep getting a message like "Page not available" or "Page not found". What does this mean?

If you've already connected to Virgin Media WiFi and get this message when you try to surf to a web page, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

You've left the station and are out of range of one of our hotspots. In this case, please try again when you're inside a WiFi enabled station.

You've misspelt the web address.

The web page you're trying to reach contains blocked content.

There's a network fault in that location. Try moving to another spot in the same station, like further down the platform. Alternatively, try again at another WiFi enabled station.

Why does the Virgin Media WiFi Portal always appear when I open my browser in a station?

When you connect at the start of your Tube journey and open your browser, you'll be taken to the WiFi Portal page to give you instant access to useful information like the latest travel news and London information.

Why do I get a message saying that I need to enable cookies?

Cookies allow us to recognise your device automatically when you enter a station. Cookies are regularly used by websites and WiFi connections to identify users.

How do I enable cookies on my device?

To enable cookies, just follow these steps for iPhones, iPads and BlackBerry and Android smartphones. For all other devices, please check your user manual which you can find on the manufacturer's website.

iPhone / iPad

Open Settings and tap on Safari.

Under "Privacy", tap on "Accept Cookies" and select "From Visited".

If this process doesn't work, try clearing your cookies and data as follows:

Open Settings and tap on Safari.

Under "Privacy", tap on "Clear Cookies and Data".

BlackBerry

Cookies are automatically enabled on BlackBerry devices, but you may need to clear your old cookie data. To do this, just follow these steps: